Sucker Punch reportedly cuts 24 jobs amid industry-wide redundancies
Sucker Punch Productions reportedly laid off 24 workers as it reviews staffing needs for its next project amid challenging market conditions. The cuts come shortly after the studio released a well-received expansion for Ghost of Yōtei, highlighting how job losses have continued across the games industry even as major releases find large audiences.
The studio is said to have around 200 employees, though the exact total is unclear. Ghost of Yōtei sold 3.3 million copies in its first month after launching last October. The cuts are part of a wider wave of industry redundancies: EA recently closed BioWare and cut around 400 jobs, while Xbox has said it plans to shed about 3,200 workers over 12 months.
In short
- Sucker Punch reportedly cut 24 jobs.
- Ghost of Yōtei sold 3.3 million copies in its first month.
- Game industry redundancies continue across major studios.
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The case for
Supporters of the cuts may argue that studios need to match staffing to the work and revenue they can reasonably expect, especially when planning a new project in a difficult market. Restructuring early could help Sucker Punch remain financially sustainable and protect the wider studio’s ability to make games in future.
The case against
Critics may argue that cutting 24 jobs soon after a well-received release, amid continuing industry redundancies, shows how workers can bear the costs of companies’ planning and market risks. They may also question whether reducing experienced teams is prudent when it could undermine staff security, morale and the skills needed for future projects.
Explained simply
Sucker Punch Productions is a US video game studio best known for the Ghost of Tsushima series, including its follow-up, Ghost of Yōtei. The studio is part of Sony’s PlayStation Studios, which develops games for PlayStation consoles.
Game studios employ people across design, programming, art and other roles, and their staffing can change as projects begin or end. Redundancies have affected companies across the games industry, including large publishers such as EA and Microsoft’s Xbox division, even as some games attract millions of players.
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Originally published by Engadget as “Ghost of Yōtei studio Sucker Punch reportedly lays off 24 workers”.